


flat stones make for light work

by xambedox



Category: Korean Drama, 무림학교 | Moorim School (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-05
Updated: 2016-05-05
Packaged: 2018-06-06 13:35:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,463
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6756304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xambedox/pseuds/xambedox
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The night is long and cold. One of them will keep watch while the other tries to get some rest, switching off at some point, just as they had done before, at least that was the plan.</p>
            </blockquote>





	flat stones make for light work

**Author's Note:**

> based off of the heart to heart talk Shi Woo and Chi Ang had when they were resting on their way to moorim peak.
> 
> i kept all the dialogue (as best i could, i can only trust that dramafever's translations were accurate) and only added some sensory description for them both, and basically what [i wished had] happened after the original scene change in the show. i tried to match their movements from the episode as best as possible, but any emotions i write about are what i think i can infer and anything that takes place after the line “my ariel wouldn’t let that happen” is purely a work of fiction.
> 
> basically i was going through some old files and found this like 90% finished so i decided to do that last 10% and now we're here
> 
> enjoy!!

The forest is silent save for the cracking of the fire, and what small talk they’d been having up to that point.

"You know... I just don't understand." Chi Ang starts his gaze caught somewhere on the ground between Shi Woo across from him and the fire off to his right, "With me... my dad didn't give me any choice, so I had to come here." There’s a brief pause and all either of them could hear was the crackling of the fire beside them and the loud exhale of breath Chi Ang releases. Then he continues in a laughing tone, obviously still thinking somewhat fondly of his father. “He’s kind of rough around the edges. Anyway, I'm trying to stay because I have no choice." Finally he turns his gaze from the ground up to look at Shi Woo directly. Shi Woo straightens his head, feeling the trunk of the tree roll across the back of his head as he directs his gaze toward the brunet.

"Why are you trying to stay in this school despite all of the cleaning you have to do?" He sounds sincere, and without any judgment; genuinely curious. Shi Woo must have looked away at some point, but his gaze shifted back to Chi Ang before the end of the question.

A few seconds pause before Chi Ang continues.

"By any chance... is it because of your ear?" Shi Woo looks out to his right, as if wondering if he should answer the question or not and lets out a takes in a silent breath, his chest and shoulders rising. Below, his hands mimic the motion as he fiddles with his fingers, his thumb pulling up and his palm faces out instead of down his muscles relax again and sink back into their original position.

Chi Ang continues, “Do you have a hard time hearing?” Shi Woo is still staring off to his right, looking dejected, his mouth left open a sliver, and his brow sporting the slightest crinkle. “Is that why the accident occurred at the concert? All the other kids fled,” Chi Ang’s head angling to his right as if to further indicate the movement the others had made, though he keeps his gaze fixed on Shi Woo, “but you just stood there.”

There’s another lull of silence as Shi Woo finally turns back to meet Chi Ang’s eyes, his own beginning to tear up and he takes another breath before giving his head a few small, but deliberate nods. “Yes.” Despite the tears that welled in his eyes, they didn’t spill over, and he held a determined look on his face. Really, they were glossy at worst and he didn’t plan on letting them go any further. “That’s why I came here. The hospital doesn’t know what the cause is and they don’t know how to fix it.” His gaze shifts again, opting to stare blankly at Chi Ang’s torso as the brunet continues watching him silently. “Dean Hwang may somehow… He may somehow be able to fix it.” The air is cold, and his hot breath could be seen clouding white into the air.

 

There’s another second long pause.

 

“I don’t have any family...” at that Chi Ang looks down, as if unsure of how to react or respond. “I have no one.”

 

Pause.

 

“It’s just music.”

 

Another pause, but this time Shi Woo looks back up at Chi Ang’s face, their eyes meeting again.

 

“If I can’t hear-- If I can’t make music--”

“Don’t worry.” Chi Ang interrupts. “You’re going to make a huge comeback again.”

Shi Woo’s head rolls against the trunk behind him as he sighs and turns his head to look off to his right again.

“My Ariel wouldn’t let that happen,” Chi Ang assures with a smile. At that, Shi Woo looks at Chi Ang again, his face still angled off to the right, but only for a moment before he looks away again, the corners of his mouth pulling up, however brief.

It isn’t like Shi Woo can believe in what the other was saying, but even if the words seem empty, they bring some small comfort. Even if he doesn’t believe in himself (that it was even possible for him to rise up again) it was nice to think that there was at least Chi Ang and his (very idiotically nicknamed) crush.

“I’ll take the first watch and you can rest for a bit,” he says, sitting up a little more against the tree. There was no sense continuing the conversation anymore. It’s long past dark and it would be best if at least one of them could get a bit of rest before they had to go looking for more firewood.

“Yeah...” The brunet’s words were that of agreement, but his tone indicates otherwise.

“Something wrong?” Shi Woo ventures. The other shakes his head.

“If tonight is anything like last night, I won’t be able to get any rest. I’m not exactly used to the cold and lack of a bed.” His tone isn’t sarcastic at all, to Shi Woo’s ears it seems more like he’s hesitant to make the admission.

“I couldn’t tell considering how talkative you always are,” he teases, feigning surprise. Chi Ang gives him an annoyed look in response and his lips turn up slightly at the sight. He turns to stare at the fire off to his left.

He can’t deny the cold. Already his breath had begun to cloud white into the air and he would be lying if were to say it hadn’t been bothering him. After a drawn out pause, he speaks again. “You can lean on me if you want.”

Their eyes meet.

Shi Woo’s expression is blank, as if he had said the most natural thing in the world (though the turning his his stomach would argue otherwise), and Chi Ang’s face contorts in confusion at the suggestion.

“I’m warmer than the trunk, and definitely more comfortable,” he offers and Shi Woo could see Chi Ang hesitating but he knows which buttons to push. “...but if you’d rather stay there and not get any sleep then be my guest.” He shrugs and started to lift himself to put another branch on the fire (unnecessarily, but it’s more for show that anything). At that sight, Chi Ang starts to speak and so Shi Woo slinks back down to listen, his legs now lying flat instead of being pulled up toward him like before.

“Yah. You’re not even gonna give me a chance to respond? Tch.” Despite the tone of his voice, he then moves without further hesitation, soon leaning his back into Shi Woo’s chest and pretending he wasn’t ecstatic at the sudden warmth where they were in contact.

Body heat is a very wonderful thing but after an initial moment of ' _I can’t believe I just offered to let him lean on me_  ' and '  _I can’t believe I’m leaning on him_ ', they both realize the position isn’t especially comfortable.

“Can I try something else?” Chi Ang’s voice comes out quietly, but there’s no trace of doubt in it. After all, if he’s going to try to sleep he should be as comfortable as possible.

“Go ahead.”

And then the brunet shifts and slides down to rest his head in the other’s lap, using Shi Woo’s thigh as a pillow. In Shi Woo’s mind, the new position was a little less warm, and maybe a little more emotionally uncomfortable, but Chi Ang seems to prefer it and it’s (mostly) for his benefit anyway so Shi Woo remains silent. Instead, he lets his arms back down from where they were raised to give Chi Ang room to adjust, his hands having nowhere to go, his right falls into soft brown locks, and his right ends up on Chi Ang’s upper chest and shoulder. He knows his hands are cold, and he can feel them sapping warmth where they touched the other, but if it bothered Chi Ang at all, he didn’t say anything.

So that’s how they stay.

Chi Ang falls asleep, lulled into unconsciousness by the soothing feeling of cool fingers running gently through his hair, and Shi Woo doesn’t even know when he even started the motion. He’s far too aware of the quiet breathing of the boy against his lap and wonders just what happened to them.

Somehow he went from irritation at the mere sight of the brunet, to where they were now, with some unfamiliar feeling of protection grasping his heart as he looked down at the sleeping face below.

Chi Ang is definitely still annoying, it’s just a part of his personality.

Shi Woo knows that.

But some part of him wonders just when that became one of Chi Ang's charms.

**Author's Note:**

> rip the ship that never was, but really should have been
> 
> come yell at me on my tumblr (averagelyangelic)


End file.
